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Canada concluded its most successful swimming medal count as the 2019 FINA world aquatics championships ended Sunday in Gwangju, South Korea. But the story of the meet was the controversy hanging over Sun Yang of China, the ripple effects of which could potentially mean retroactive Olympic and world championship gold medals for retired swim star Ryan Cochrane of Victoria.

Sun, who served a three-month doping ban in 2014, was cleared by FINA to compete at the 2019 world championships despite allegedly smashing blood vials with a hammer after officials came to his home for a routine test last September, according to media reports. The World Anti Doping Agency has appealed FINA’s ruling clearing Sun and the issue is headed to the Court for Arbitration in Sport in September in a case that threatens his career.

Victoria's Ryan Cochrane could swim away with Olympic gold after allBack to video

Australian swimmer Mack Horton and British swimmer Duncan Scott refused to take the podium with Sun in Gwangju or shake his hand. Sun’s victories at the worlds were greeted by a mix of boos and cheers by the crowd.

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“Sun has been a polarizing character for almost a decade now, and with that comes many fans, and just as many critics,” said Cochrane, about his former rival.

Sun won gold in the 1,500-metre freestyle and Cochrane silver at the 2011 world championships in Shanghai, 2012 London Olympics and 2013 world championships in Barcelona. Cochrane was also the silver and bronze medallist behind winner Sun in the 800-metre freestyle at the 2011 and 2013 world championships, respectively, in the non-Olympic event.

(Cochrane was 1,500-metre bronze medallist in the 2015 worlds when Sun mysteriously did not start.)

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Cochrane said he is ambivalent about the prospect of medal upgrades — he would become an Olympic champion and three-time world champion — if action is taken against Sun.

“As an athlete you are always trying to control every aspect of your life, and this scenario is something that makes me uncomfortable to think about,” said Cochrane.

“I would like to believe I swam my best race, against the best and clean athletes in the world. But anything beyond that is completely out of my control.”

In April, Canadian weightlifter Christine Girard was awarded the London 2012 Olympic gold medal in the women’s 63-kilo class after initially winning the bronze. Blood samples were re-tested and original gold medallist Maiya Maneza of Kazakhstan and silver medallist Svetlana Tsarukaeva of Russia were stripped of their medals. Six years after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, fourth-place shot-putter Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops was elevated to the bronze medal after original bronze-medallist Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus was stripped of his medal for doping infractions.

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Bronze-medallist Beckie Scott of Canada was retroactively awarded 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics gold, several years later, in women’s 5K-pursuit cross-country skiing after original champion Olga Danilova and silver medallist Larissa Lazutina, both of Russia, were disqualified for doping.

“It’s great to see athletes’ voices being taken seriously and see so many athletes advocating for issues that are important to them,” said Cochrane.

“Now, more than ever, it’s essential that athletes use their status to effect change in a positive manner.”

But while it would be gratifying to set matters straight at a retroactive medal ceremony at city hall or Saanich Commonwealth Place, it just wouldn’t be the same, noted Cochrane.

“For those athletes who have been awarded medals at a later date, they were robbed of a very special moment that they dreamed about their entire athletic lives,” said Cochrane.

“That said, I would imagine being able to share that moment with friends, family, and the community which supported you, would be the most ideal considering the circumstances.”

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